Body System Checklist - Nervous System
ü Description and major functions of the central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS).
Description:
  • The CNS coordinate every activity of the body.
  • The PNS is made of up nerves that carry messages back and forth from the CNS.
  1. The brain controls the CNS. there are three main sections; the cerebrum, the cerebellum, and the brainstem.
  2. The cerebrum controls the concious activities such as memory, language, intelligence, senses, and skeletal muscle movement.
  3. The cerebellum controls posture, balance, and coordination
  4. The brain stem controls the involuntary activities such as breathing and heart rate.
ü Describe how the structure of a neuron provides an advantage on its function. (dendrites, axon, axon terminals, myelin sheath)
Dendrites- On the cell body and there are many little branchlike extensions coming out of it to receive more impulses and since it
to the cell body, it's already there.
Axon- The axon is an extension from the body to carry impulses to other neurons, glands, or muscles.
Axon Terminal- At the end of the Axon; does the actual transmitting of impulses to other neurons.
Myelin Sheath- The myelin sheath helps make the impulses go faster because they then now need to hop between each sheath.
ü Explain the major parts - brain, spinal cord and neurons - and list the function(s) of each. Include helpful diagrams, drawings.
Brain ->it controls actions of an animal, includes many other systems in the brain
Spinal Cord -> it is the pathway for information passes to and from the brain
Neurons -> a cells that process and transmit information in the body

external image brain-picture.jpg
Thalamus
located on top of the brain stem and near the center of the brain, has many functions in other systems, mostly in the motor systems.
external image Thalamus.gif
Hypothalamus
located below the thalamus and above brain stem, link to the nervous and endocrine system.
external image Hypothalamus.gif
IN THE BRAIN...
Frontal lobe -> located in the cerebrum, recognizes future consequences resulting from current actions. It also holds long term memories.
Temporal lobe -> located in the cerebral cortex, it is the auditory processor where it processes speech and vision.
Parietal lobe -> located between then frontal and occipital lobe, it integrates sensory information.
Occipital lobe -> located in the front of the brain, it is the visual processing center.
Cerebellum -> located at the bottom, back part of the brain, it has an important role in motor control and has functions in attention and language and also functions in fear and pleasure.
Limbic System -> it is highly interconnected with the brain's pleasure center and influences the endocrine and automatic nervous system.external image Brain_limbicsystem.jpg
Medulla Oblongata -> it is the lower part of the brain stem, it controls automatic functions
o Include the following parts of their brain with their functions (cerebrum-distinguish between frontal, temporal, parietal and occipital lobes-, thalamus, hypothalamus, cerebellum, limbic system and medulla oblongata)

ü Briefly describe how neurons talk to one another.

​Neurons talk to one another by spaces that lie between them. A tiney space is inbetween one newuron's axon and another neuron dendrite. The space between neuoron is called a synapse. A tiney impulse that travels must go through a synapse. When an impalse reaches the end of an axon. Calcium channels open, letting calciums to enter the end of the axon. Calcium lets vesicles in the axon to fuse with the plasma membrane, letting go of their chemicals, called neurotransmitters, into the synapic space by exocytosis. Then neurotransmitter diffuses accross the space to the dendrite of the next neuron.
ü Describe the path a pain message follows from the point it is felt in your skin (by skin receptors) to when it is interpreted in your brain.

Touching something hot -> pain receptors in skin are stimilated -> sensorey neurons sends information to spinal cord -> interneurons recieve messages -> 1) sends infromation to brain which provides perception of pain -> 2) sends information to neurons -> which sends infromation to muscles -> which makes you withdraw from pain stimilius




ü What is a CVA? What are the 2 main types? What are some risk factors?

CVA is the abbreviation for cerebrovascular accident. In other words, a CVA is a stroke. It is literally a 'brain attack,' and is caused when the vital supply of blood and oxygen is cut off to part of the brain. It also may be caused by the following factors:
-a hemorrhage bleeding into the tissue;
-by a clot (called a thrombus) in a blood vessel;
-by a piece of a clot (called an embolus) that has broken loose and floats through the circulation until it reaches and blocks a small vessel; or
-by a vasospasm, which constricts the cerebral blood vessels.

There are two main types of strokes: ischemic and hemorrhagic.

Ischemic strokes make up 80% of all strokes. They occur when not enough blood is supplied to the brain, so brain cells do not get enough oxygen. The most common risk factor of having an ischemic stroke is thrombosis, which is when a blood clot restricts or cuts off the flow of blood to a part of the brain; the clot can build up over time and gradually reduce blood flow. An ischemic stroke may also be caused by embolism, which occurs when a blood clot breaks off or another piece of debris (fat, bacteria, marrow from broken bones, etc.) enters the blood stream, thus blocking the flow of blood. This process is typically very quick, and usually is caused by blood clots.

Hemorrhagic strokes, also known as cerebral hemorrhages, are characterized by the rupture of a blood vessel or severe damage to the head. This causes an interruption in blood supply, while the flood of blood irritates and damages tissue. In other words, hemorrhagic strokes occur when a vessel in the brain ruptures or begins to bleed. Hemorrhagic strokes can potentially be much more deadly than ischemic strokes, not only because it restricts blood flow to the brain, but because the blood from the burst or damaged vessel can injure the surrounding tissue. Trauma, bleeding disorders, certain illegal drugs, and hypertension can all cause fatal buildups of blood in the brain, resulting in a hemorrhagic stroke.

Some general risk factors leading to a stroke include:
-age,
-family hereditary,
-race,
-gender,
-prior stroke or heart attack,
-high blood pressure,
-cigarette smoking,
-diabetes,
-artery or heart diseases,
-poor diet, (high in saturated fat, trans fat, cholesterol, sodium, excess calories, etc.)
-high cholesterol, and
-physical inactivity and/or obesity.



ü Find 4 fun/interesting facts about your body system. You may list the facts as sentences or use them to create trivia questions.

1) The left side of the human brain controls the right side of the body; the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body.
2) An average male brain weighs about 1,375 grams, while an average female brain weighs about 1,275 grams.
3) The human brain stops growing by the time one is 18 years of age.
4) The nervous system transmits messages to the brain at the speed of 180 miles per hour.

ü Develop 10 multiple choice questions and put them in your wiki so that your peers can answer them after you go over your body system.

1. The _ and the _ together make up the central nervous system.
A Brain, Neck
B Spinal Cord, Neck
C Torso, Neck
D Brain, Spinal Cord

2. The _ is the control center of the entire nervous system.
A Brain
B Spinal Cord
C Neck
D Foot

3. What is not one of the 3 main sections of the brain?
A Spinal Cord
B Cerebrum
C Cerebellum
D Brain Stem

4. Which part of the brain controls involuntary actions, such as breathing?
A Medulla Oblongata
B Cerebrum
C Spinal Cord
D Cerebellum

5. When you touched the stove when you were young, and you jerked your hand back because it was hot, that action is a(an)...
A Synapse
B Reflex
C Environment
D Voluntary Action

6. What is the basic unit of structure and function in the nervous system?
A Neurotransmitters
B H2O molecules
C Neurons
D Synapse

7. The __ nervous system is made up of all the nerves that carry messages to and from the central nervous system.
A Central
B Automatic
C Peripheral
D Somatic

8. Most axons are surrounded by this white covering:
A Axon Terminal
B Dendrites
C Axon
D Myelin Sheath

9. Which division of the nervous system controls organs when the body is at rest?
A Parasympathetic
B Sympathetic
C Automatic
D Somatic

10. Which division of the nervous system relays information to the internal organs?
A Central
B Peripheral
C Somatic
D Automatic

ü Explain how your system might be involved, or not involved in the driver’s injury. Cite specific evidence.

The nervous system might be involved in the driver's injury because during the call from the EMS professional, the EMS professional mentioned that the driver was moving his arms but not his legs. This could mean that the driver has severed his spinal cord by breaking his back during the accident. If this is what happened, then there is a very high chance that the driver will become paralyzed from wherever the damage to the spinal cord is and down. This means that from where the the spinal cord was severed, from there down the driver will not be able to move anything because the spinal cord is responsible for most of the movements. It sends messages to the brain which relays it back, and tells the body to do a particular action. Therefore, we can assume that the driver's spinal cord was severed around the lower part of his back because the driver is able to move his arms, just not his legs.